Co-workers
by Dizzy28
Summary: Amanda, once again, finds a way to redefine their boundaries / Set in S1.


He's not quite sure why it doesn't hit him that she's the kind of person who celebrates her birthday. Maybe it's his own history with birthday celebrations. Five -his first five, not that he remembers them in the blur of memories that is his childhood- in thirty three years. Well, six, counting that time he spent the whole day in a five star hotel's room with that agent from MI6. Not technically a celebration of his birthday (as if he tells his one night stands when his birthday is. As if they care) but definitely a celebration of some kind.

Sure, her birth date was on her file, but so was her wedding date and he had -pointedly- not given that more than a brief look. The less he knows about her personal life, the easier it is to work with her. Right?

But then she's nowhere to be found for a day, and if that's not worrying enough (not that she's supposed to be at work every single day, but still, she usually likes to visit the office, let everyone know she's available. Just in case) the next day she arrives at the bullpen with a spring on her step, that disappears the minute she sees _him_.

"Morning, Amanda," he gives her a charming grin and everything, but somehow the gesture receives only a small smile in return.

"Good morning, Lee."

He's about to ask her where she was yesterday, or try to ask without making it sound like he cared more than he actually did, when Billy makes his timely coffee break and approaches them.

"Good morning, Amanda, and happy belated birthday. How was yesterday?"

Amanda's smile this time is genuine, and warm, and something Lee hadn't realised he had become so dependant on until she's giving it to Billy but not to him. "Oh, thank you, it was great, Sir. The boys always make such a big deal out of my birthday, I knew I would have no time to come into the office. I hope it was no trouble." She gives him a brief look then, and Lee feels his ears go red. He forgets about her birthday -scratch that, doesn't care enough to figure out when her birthday is- and she still worries about him having to do his filing on his own.

"Oh, everything was under control, wasn't it, Scarecrow?"

Lee nods for what feels like five minutes before speaking. "Yeah. Sure. Everything was fine. Fine." Dear Lord. Could that have been more awkward?

Amanda has to hide her giggle behind a hand, and Billy just shakes his head at him, leaving them and walking towards the coffee machine on the other side of the bullpen.

Lee waits until the relative privacy around his desk is back. "Amanda, why didn't you tell me it was your birthday yesterday?"

She gives him a patient smile, like the one he imagines she gives her kids when they're doing something stupid and she wants them to learn what they're doing wrong on their own. It irks him how this woman makes him feel like a complete tool. "I didn't think it was worth mentioning."

He snorts. "Well, it seems like a big deal to me, if you and the boys spent all day celebrating."

She lifts an eyebrow at him, and he crosses his arms over his chest. And why is he feeling so defensive all of the sudden? "They're family."

"And we are-" his mouth betrays him, and he speaks before thinking how he wants to finish the sentence. Something that seems to happen more and more lately.

"We are-?" She makes a motion with her hands, which to him looks like ' _go on, dig yourself in a little deeper_ '.

"Co-workers."

She nods, and looks like she wants to laugh. "Co-workers."

"Yeah, co-workers, and co-workers tell each other when their birthdays are coming up."

"Oh, do they? Because I didn't tell Mr. Melrose."

The fact that Billy knew when Amanda's birthday was and he hadn't stings a lot more than he expected, and he shrugs. "Well, yeah. He must have read your file more times than me. I mean, you've seen my file, enough of it," he clarifies before she has time to protest. His complete file is, of course, not at her clearance level, "and you don't know when my birthday is, do you?"

"June 22nd," she says matter-of-factly, and he gapes at her for a few seconds.

"You know when my birthday is?"

She shrugs. "Co-workers tell each other when their birthdays are coming up. Friends know."

He frowns at her, but she reaches around him for the half done report on top of his desk and gives him that warm smile he had been missing all morning (and the better part of yesterday, he realises). "You need help with this?"

Lee just sighs, and nods.


End file.
